How Can Online Instructors Make Themselves More Visible to Students?

The most common complaint students have about online courses is that they felt their instructor wasn’t there. In other words, they felt their instructor was missing, they felt left on their own with no content expert, and that they were expected to just figure it all out for themselves. What students enrolled in online courses really want is a “visible” instructor—one who is present, engaged, active, and is consistently facilitating the course. This program relates approximately ten small, simple strategies instructors can use to make themselves more visible to students in their online courses, thus creating a virtual classroom of more engaged, involved, and successful students.

Learning Goals

After viewing this Magna 20-Minute Mentor, participants will be able to:

• Describe the benefits of incorporating strategies into their teaching to be more visible to their students
• Identify a variety of strategies they can utilize to be more visible to their students
• Describe how the idea of being visible to students directly relates to evidence of engagement of the instructor
• Explain how and why being more visible to students helps with improved learning

Topics Covered

• 10 strategies to increase instructor visibility when teaching online, involving:
  • Open, consistent communication
  • Infusing your “voice” into the course
  • Meaningful feedback
• Benefits of being a “visible” online instructor

Audience

This program will benefit:

• Faculty
• Faculty developers
• Instructional designers

Product Code: QM19EA